journal, 2/6

[zephyrean]

Sender: Law
To: Everyone
Subject: help

It's been a couple months now, so i've gotta ask...

Does anybody here actually understand how this dreamotion stuff works?! I tried watching people, I tried asking the locals about it, I tried doing it myself, and it's not making any frickin sense! it's like magic right? so maybe i'm just no good for it, my people aren't exactly known for their skill with astral artes.

[unless you're Rinwell. But she's special.]

Unless somebody can actually teach me maybe I should just give up. It's not like I actually need this stuff, right?

Comments

Sender: Mammon

[stupidmammon]

no offense but this did wonders to boost my selfesteem.

[zephyrean]

You know saying no offense doesn't actually make it not offensive right?

but you're welcome? I guess??

[stupidmammon]

I mean. It kinda does? Well maybe not but the point still stands!

No but I was beginning to think I was the only one strugglin with that dreamy magic stuff.

Sender: Dohalim

[menancia]

In my study of dreamotion thus far, how it is accessed and used seems to vary significantly between individuals. It's quite possible you simply haven't found the right approach yet.

I've had some success with it, myself. If you like, we could examine your efforts so far together and see how you might move forward.

[zephyrean]

I shouldn't be surprised a guy as smart as you has this stuff all figured out, Dohalim.

[Dohalim's common sense might be lacking, but never let it be said he's not intelligent.]

[menancia]

[Book-smart, he definitely has on lock. Street-smart... not so much.]

I was curious about the phenomenon as a whole, and so took it upon myself to research it as much as possible upon our arrival. There's no documentation to consult, of course, but I've been taking notes as I talk to others about their experiences. It's been quite fascinating.

sender: Alphen

[refire]

I don't know it anymore than you do, Law.

I've tried looking into it but I haven't made much progress on that front.

What about your usual training? How's that coming along?

[zephyrean]

Oh come on Alphen! I was hoping you of all people figured out something by now. I'm really counting on you here, remember?

[He's a little disappointed, he really was hoping Alphen would be able to show him the ropes on this.]

My physical training's coming along as peachy as ever. Worried I'm going to hit my limits one of these days though. That's one of the reasons why I want to figure this stuff out, then maybe I can just dream up new and better equipment!

[refire]

It's a lot more complicated than that. Dreamotion uses emotional energy and there's risks involved. It won't always go the way you expect it to. Just give me more time to work through it I've had a lot to think about.

That's not something I can tackle on my own. I'd need Shionne there to help me through it.

You know how important she is to me. If all of us are together then we'll be that much stronger.

Sender: Satan

[angelbirth]

It feels second nature to me, but only because I'm very familiar with various types of magic in my own world. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I could explain the inner-workings of it because it doesn't behave the same for everyone.

I do want to say this, though: if you're going into it thinking you won't succeed, then you're only creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. I know it can be difficult to change your mindset if you've been met with failure after failure, but if you try to use dreamotion magic thinking you'll fail, then you probably will fail.

Alternatively? Get really angry.

[zephyrean]

Really angry, huh.

[That's the part he focuses on first.]

I was in a pretty dark place the last time I got really angry, I don't think I want to be back there.

Anyway it's not like I'm approaching this thinking I'm gonna fail okay? But you notice things after weeks of not getting anywhere.

Sender: Zelda

[multidisciplinary]

I understand dreamotion well enough, for all the good it does me. Yes, it is a kind of magic, but it is created using emotion rather than any kind of mana. And therein lies the problem, unfortunately.

[zephyrean]

Mana. That's just like Astral Energy, right? [He's pretty sure he's heard that somewhere before.]

Yeah, see, I can't use that stuff. Like, literally.

sender: SHIONNE

[dethorne]

It could be really useful, if you manage to use it efficiently enough. It could even improve your attacks or defense— things even you would find handy.

Start small, don't try something complicated immediately and get discouraged.
How is it that you've tried using it so far?

[zephyrean]

I don't know, all kinds of different ways. I watch what people are doing with it. Making little light shows, heating things up, making plants grow, that kind of stuff.

But whenever I try to do what they're doing, I just get nothing at all. What the hell am I doing wrong? How'd you start, Shionne?

Sender: Vanitas

[darkcharge]

Maybe you're just not in tune enough with yourself and your emotions. Emotionally stunted, if you will.

[zephyrean]

What? No way, I'm totally in tune with my emotions!

[He really isn't. Not like he thinks he is, anyway.]

sender: Merisia

[likescaves]

You don't need it, no. But it's useful to have in a place like this, so you might as well learn it.

If it's anything like what I've tried before, your previous affinity for magicks won't apply. If you try to approach it like normal, though, the only thing you're going to end up with is a headache. [ Granted, you'll probably end up with a headache if you do end up nailing it, too. Merisia sure did. ]

[zephyrean]

Then how the hell am I supposed to approach it? It's nothing like strength training. At least that's straightforward. But this? I don't get this stuff at all.

[It's already giving him a headache.]

sender: emil

[enflame]

It's hard to explain in any actual technical terms. I learned a little bit of magic before coming here, and it's only somewhat useful for learning it here. Mostly I just think about replicating it in a way and can force it out somehow.

But it also means I can only perform a few spells — not that I'm too mad about it. Just that if I did want to learn anything else, I wouldn't have any foggy idea of how to do it.

I mean, is it based on dreams? Emotion? How do my emotions make magic happen? I can't connect one thing to another.

[zephyrean]

That's the boat I'm in. I don't get magic and I sure as hell don't get how to turn my emotions into magic.

Sender: Jude

[spryite]

[gonna assume they exchanged names at least yell at me if that's bad He remembers this guy... The muscle for brains training fanatic, one of Alphen's friends...]

It's more emotion than magic, actually. Your feelings, your resolve, your passion, your focus, dreamotion draws from all of that and everyone expresses it differently. Astral artes or not, you can still perform combat feats that not everyone in your world can replicate, right? How have you been using your martial artes, for starters?

[zephyrean]

[yeah sure absolutely!]

My martial artes? Those are easy. My dad trained me as a kid in using breathing techniques to control the chi that flows through my body and turn it into strength. It's like second nature to me.

But it's not like I can just do that to make my emotions into magic.

[A pause. He's actually not sure about that.]

...Can I?

Sender: Rokurou

[rokubro]

Honestly I don't really think too hard about it. But I do find it easier when I'm fighting. Comes out pretty naturally when I'm using my sword artes.

[zephyrean]

i try using it when i'm doing my martial artes, but all that comes out is my martial artes.